A heartbreaking incident unfolded in the southeastern province of Jiangxi as a fire claimed the lives of at least 39 people and left nine others injured. The tragedy occurred in the city of Xinyu, where a blaze erupted in the basement of shops on Wednesday.

Government officials reported that the rescue operation has concluded, with no more individuals trapped in the building. CCTV footage captured the intense efforts of over 100 firefighters, police, and local government officials, operating multiple fire trucks and emergency response vehicles to combat the flames.

Chinese President Xi Jinping responded to the devastating incident, labelling it another safety tragedy. He urged the government and Communist Party to take decisive actions to prevent the frequent occurrence of safety accidents, underscoring the need to ensure the safety of lives, property, and overall social stability. President Xi issued orders for the State Council’s Work Safety Committee to address any gaps in safety measures.

The local government is actively investigating the cause of the fire. This marks the second fatal fire incident in less than a week, following a tragedy in the central Henan province where 13 people, primarily third-grade elementary school students from rural areas, lost their lives in a school dormitory fire. Authorities took the head of the school into custody during the ongoing investigation into the cause of that fire.

Social media in China has been flooded with expressions of outrage over these incidents, with calls for accountability and punishment for those responsible resonating strongly among users.